Quintez Brown was charged two felony counts: one for interfering with federal activities and another for discharging a firearm during a violent crime. He received close to the maximum sentence Friday.
The 24-year-old former social justice activist pleaded guilty to federal charges in July last year, which stemmed from an attack on then-mayoral candidate, Craig Greenberg.
In February 2022, Greenberg was in his campaign office in Butchertown with four other colleagues when Brown appeared in the doorway, fired multiple rounds and fled.
No one was injured following the incident, though Greenberg said a bullet grazed his sweater.
On Friday, Greenberg gave a statement in court. He said he still thinks about that day.
“Regardless of whether the bullets hit or miss, regardless of why someone aims and shoots, that criminal act, that decision to shoot someone must be met with significant consequences,” Greenberg said.
Brown’s attorneys argued that Brown was “significantly mentally ill” at the time of the shooting. They said he was showing signs of depression and bipolar disorder following the death of his cousin and stepdad months before the shooting at Greenberg’s campaign office. Brown had also disappeared for more than a week a year prior, and he claimed he had a mental breakdown.
University of Louisville professor Ricky Jones had Brown as a student. He said Brown deserved a second chance, and Jones said Brown was “a brilliant student” up until the shooting. Several other community members also wrote letters to the judge, asking for a lesser sentence or his release.
Brown spoke on his own behalf in court and apologized to Greenberg and the four other victims. He said he wants to use the rest of his life “to teach love and community.”
The prosecution argued Brown intended to kill Greenberg when he walked into his campaign office with a firearm he had bought an hour prior from the nearby pawn shop.
Brown has been held at Grayson County Detention Center since May 2022, following a ruling a federal judge overturned that would have allowed Brown to remain on house arrest until his federal trial. In the ruling, a district court judge expressed uncertainty over Brown’s mental health and called him a danger to the community and a flight risk.
U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Beaton said he would try to send Brown to a prison close to Louisville.
Brown was also charged in state court with attempted murder and and four counts of wanton endangerment. One count of attempted murder can carry up to 20 years in prison, and each count of wanton endangerment carries up to five years.
According to court records, a circuit court judge, the prosecution and Brown’s attorney are expected to meet for a pretrial conference in February. This will determine whether Brown’s case will go to trial.
